Problem hanging curtain rail.

Soldato
Joined
13 Aug 2004
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I'm attempting to fix the curtain rail, the problem has been that the screws and rawl plug are quite shallow and the surrounding plaster has worn away so it's started to sag.
I attempted to drill further in with masonry bits (carbide) but the drill wouldn't go in any further, I tried another hole a couple of inches above and still it wouldn't go any further than about an inch.

What could I be hitting that is causing this?
 
Your best bet is to do what 4T5 said, stick it with sticks like **** and you'll have no probs. Either your drill bits are naff, or you're hitting an old box beam.
 
Or fill the existing holes with gripfill wait 24 hours and re drill.
That way you can keep everything central and NOT have a piece of wood showing
 
@Bert....So what happens to the rest of the fittings above the window..numpty.

Move the track up higher if youre curtains are long enough, but failing it, My way would be...

If you can't get a decent fitting, you'll only have the same problem over and over again, especially with pulling the curtains across the window back and forth twice a day.

You can take which ever advice you like, but personally I would get some PSE wood the width of your track, plane the edges very slightly, and stick it with sticks like ****, paint it in with your wall. Be time your tracks back on you wont even notice it and you'll get a much much stronger fasten.
 
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Well considering it is a 'curtain' track, it therefor goes above a window...

Now the last time I knew, a curtain track goes along the top of a window\door etc. Therefor has fixings all along above the window\door ;)
 
Don't you require a hammer drill to get through solid brick etc ?
Mine has regular mode or hammer mode and regular mode is rubbish on hard surfaces.

It's just a cheapo corded argos one I bought to fit my curtain rails but it did the job

Strangely enough all the curtain "rails" I have are only secured either end.
Then they would be curtain poles?

You do realise you get curtain rails and curtain poles? two separate ways of hanging curtains
 
I'm sure to most people rails are the things you can bend to shape and the curtain hooks go in a TRACK rather than slide on a POLE......

I find curtain POLES to be superior and far easier to put up but if you have a bay window you need a rail that can bend around a corner really and they are a pain in the **** to put up
 
Having just had to remove a wooden strip off my wall in my bedroom, which then needed mucho sanding and smoothing... Please don't use wood. Please. :D It's a pain in the ass if you later decide to paper the wall. It looks old fashioned too in my opinion.

I have an SDS drill which cost £22. It absolutely whizzes through every type of wall in my house - my house is concrete build (pebbles, argh!), brick and plaster board internally! It's even drilled the exterior wall so I could cable in a satellite dish.

Use it right and will drill level, smooth holes. Even though the plaster in my house is 50 years old it hardly ever lifts it.
 
Having just had to remove a wooden strip off my wall in my bedroom, which then needed mucho sanding and smoothing... Please don't use wood. Please. :D It's a pain in the ass if you later decide to paper the wall. It looks old fashioned too in my opinion.

I have an SDS drill which cost £22. It absolutely whizzes through every type of wall in my house - my house is concrete build (pebbles, argh!), brick and plaster board internally! It's even drilled the exterior wall so I could cable in a satellite dish.

Use it right and will drill level, smooth holes. Even though the plaster in my house is 50 years old it hardly ever lifts it.

This.

Use a decent sized (big) drill bit, suitable for what ever you're drilling into (stone, concrete, metal) and drill a deep hole.

If your walls are particularly dry/dusty/crumbly brick/stone, then slightly dampen the inside of the hole with water (a spray gun like for watering flowers is handy). Partially fill the holes with (drillable) filler and allow to dry.

Once dry, apply a final finish of filler and sand when dry.

Re-drill the filler and fit wall plugs.
 
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surrounding plaster has worn away

Don't forget to fix the plaster first.

There is likely a steel lintel if its above the window. You'll need a metal bit to get the hole drilled.
IF it's a concrete lintel then a SDS drill will help.

I had exactly the same situation OP. This is what you will need to do. Mine was a concrete lintel and had to drill it with an SDS drill.
 
Having just had to remove a wooden strip off my wall in my bedroom, which then needed mucho sanding and smoothing... Please don't use wood. Please. :D It's a pain in the ass if you later decide to paper the wall. It looks old fashioned too in my opinion.

I have an SDS drill which cost £22. It absolutely whizzes through every type of wall in my house - my house is concrete build (pebbles, argh!), brick and plaster board internally! It's even drilled the exterior wall so I could cable in a satellite dish.

Use it right and will drill level, smooth holes. Even though the plaster in my house is 50 years old it hardly ever lifts it.

Where did you get one for £22? I looked at screwfix as there's a trade counter a few minutes walk away, and they're charging £50+, which admittedly is still a decent price.

The room is being redecorated later this year so I may just invest in one then, glued the wood on this morning so i'll let the adhesive dry and see how it holds with the curtain and rail.
 
Where did you get one for £22? I looked at screwfix as there's a trade counter a few minutes walk away, and they're charging £50+, which admittedly is still a decent price.

It's just a cheapo no-name one from Makro. My uncle picked it up for me when I moved in to my current house 5 years ago. Even at £50 I think it's a worthwhile investment. My drill bits were cheap ones from Wilkos too. Though I have replaced my 5mm and 6mm bits for decent(ish) ones.


The room is being redecorated later this year so I may just invest in one then, glued the wood on this morning so i'll let the adhesive dry and see how it holds with the curtain and rail.

It'll do the job, no doubt, but all the rails I've hung have had quite large brackets which would overhang any of the wooden strips in my house. I'd only get one screw in. I've removed the strips in every room I've decorated.
 
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